Capsule Preview: Providence at Massachusetts

The Friars resume their schedule with the final non-league game of the season in Amherst. The Friars haven’t played UMass in Amherst since an 85-70 victory in 2000.

PROVIDENCE

Ht.

PPG.

RPG.

UMASS

Ht.

PPG.

RPG.

Bryce Cotton

6-1

19.1

3.0

Chaz Williams

5-9

15.7

3.3

Josh Fortune

6-5

6.8

2.1

Derrick Gordon

6-3

10.4

3.4

Kadeem Batts

6-9

12.9

7.4

Cady Lalanne

6-10

14.0

10.1

LaDontae Henton

6-6

12.3

7.6

Raphael Putney

6-9

11.5

4.6

Tyler Harris

6-9

13.7

4.8

Sampson Carter

6-8

12.8

4.4

Key Reserves

Key Reserves

Carson Desrosiers

7-0

4.4

5.1

Maxie Esho

6-8

8.0

5.8

Lee Goldsbrough

6-8

0.5

1.3

Trey Davis

6-0

6.5

2.5

Brice Kofane

6-7

2.6

1.4

Tyler Bergantino

6-9

1.0

1.7

THE SCOUTING REPORT

PROVIDENCE (10-2): The Friars resume their schedule with the final non-league game of the season in Amherst. The Friars haven’t played UMass in Amherst since an 85-70 victory in 2000. The two teams met last year in San Juan, P.R., with the Minutemen winning in the final seconds, 77-75…PC has played only two games against Top 100 opponents on the RPI in Kentucky (22) and Vanderbilt (58). PC will now play two top 10 RPI teams in its next three games, both on the road, with UMass (2) and Villanova (8) sandwiching a Dec. 31 home game against Seton Hall…PC is 2-0 vs. Atlantic 10 teams this season and 5-1 against A-10 teams with Ed Cooley as coach…The Friars will play their second Top 25 team tonight after losing to then-No. 3 Kentucky on Dec. 1. Friars were 2-3 vs. ranked teams last season…Cotton (23 points), Batts (19 points, 9 rebounds) and Henton (13 points, 12 boards) led PC’s attack in a loss to UMass last season.

UMASS (10-1): The Minutemen jumped out to a 10-0 start against one of the stiffer schedules in the country and now have an RPI of 2 with two non-league games to play. They own wins over Boston College, LSU, Clemson, New Mexico and Brigham Young, among others…UMass is coming off its first loss of the season against Florida State, 60-55. Game was decided in the final minute as Minutemen were held to a season-low 33 percent shooting and made just 1-of-15 tries from the 3-point line against the Seminoles. Williams was limited to 10 points and three assists…UMass is a veteran team with three seniors and two juniors in its rotation…UMass has hosted Providence only once at the Mullins Center. The two teams played in Springfield four times in the late 1970s and have met just five times since the creation of the Big East in 1979-80.